Vending apparatus.



No. 739,417. PATBNTED SEPT. 22, 1903..

J. B. HURD.

' VENDING APPARATUS.

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UNITED- Patented September 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

VENDING APPARATUS.

:SPEGIFIQATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 739,417, dated September 22, 1903.

Application filed October 4, 1902. Serial No. 125.935. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, J UDSON B. HURD, a citi-' zen of the United States, residing at VVashington, in the District of Columbia, have inclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of coincontrolled vending machines wherein the articles offered for sale are displayed for the Theobject of my invention is to provide for anew method of handling goods; dispense with magazines, elevators,and the like in a Vending-machine, and by having a delivery: opening for eacharticle offeredfor sale; en able the purchaser to select the identical article he prefers, and also make it possible in case of a rush sale, as at a railroad lunchstand, for allthe customers to help themselves simultaneously, or, for all the articles on exhibition to be disposed of to as many customers without one being obliged to wait for another.

The machine is also especially adapted in its construction to enable an attendant to replenish the supply of articles in the vendingcase without interfering with sales going on.

Another advantage results from having the machinery simple in construction and each apartment operate independently. In amachine having a magazine that holds -a dozen articles or more to one deliveryopening if any of the mechanism that operates the machine becomes disabled the whole dozen articles are tied up until repairs are made, but in my machine, the mechanism belonging to each article-holder being independent, an accident to one does not affect the others.

These and other advantages are made possible by combining a very simple coin-controlled mechanism with each cell in what is known as a post-office'case, or 'a cabinet having a series of cells extending through it from front to rear, each cell having an opening in the rear to the attendant for supply and a door-controlled delivery-opening in front to the customers. g t I am aware that a great variety of coin-conshowing mechanism insame.

' other modification trolled devices have already been invented, and I am also taking into account the fact that coin controlled mechanism alone does not constitute an operative vending-machine,v

but that each style needs to be combined with and adapted to an appropriate case, magazine, or other means for handling the goods,

and that to combine and fit an old ooincon-.

duce a new machine to accomplish-new results.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of acase. Fig. 2 is the same view of a modification, showing a series of companion cells. Fig. 3 is averticallongitudinal section through two cells, showing one with door closed audthe other with door open. Fig. 4 is a modification showing attachment used when a plurality of coins is to be used. Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial section of cell, Fig. 6 is an end view of Fig. 4 when at rest; Fig. 7, same view showing coin in place and handle moved over; Fig. 8 same as 6, showing result of moving handle over when no coin isv in the chute. Fig. 9 is an elevation showing a modified form of my fastening releaser. Fig. 10 is same showing another modification. Fig. 11 is anshowing a hook for an article-holder. v

The mechanism made use of in my inven- -tion consists principally of a coin-controlled device for releasing the door-fastening to alfor. This device consists of a single e1e menta movable portion 1, mounted on a pivot at 1. One end of this piece extends through an opening at the side of the front door to the cell and reaches out in front to form a handlel". The other end forms an angle and is held in place by two springs 1 and 1 1, one pulling it against the partition 2 and the other forcing the lower point away from the partition. springs is a fulcrum-pin 1 and above the pin is a set screw 1 The coinchute starting from the front of the case extends along the I00 Midway between the two low the customer to receive the article paid partition of the cell and leads into any appropriate receptacle at the rear. This coin-chute 3 is provided with two openings 3 and 3 and the chute is placed so that one opening will face the f ulcrum-pin 1 and the other be under the set-screw I The screw is then set so as to arrest the coin to be used and to allow a smaller coin to pass. For instance, if the price of the article to be sold is five cents the setscrew is set so as to arrest a five-cent piece and hold it in the chute facing the pin 1 and so as to allow a cent-piece or a dime to pass. The door 4 of the cell swings on hinges a at the top, and it is provided with a lug 4: at the side a short distance below the hinge. A flat piece of metal 5 has one end pivoted to this lug and extending rearward passes between the upper end of the movable portion 1, and the partition terminates with an enlarged portion adapted to form a handle 5. This also forms a fastening for the door.

The operation is as follows: The attendant at the rear of the case places in the cell the article to be sold. He then pulls the handle 5 to close the door tightly and to bring the enlargedportion of the handle-bar to the rear of the portion 1, where it is held by the force of the spring 1. \Vhen a customer selects the article for purchase, he drops the appropriate coin in the slot at the side of the door and then moves the front handle -piece 1 sidewise. The coin having lodged in the chute in front of the pin 1", it forms a fulcrum for the pin to rest upon, so that when the lower point of the movable portion 1 is forced toward the partition 2 the upper end of 1 will be forced away from the partition and will allow the enlarged portion of the handle-bar to pass. It will also move the set-screw from over the coin and allow it to move down the chute. To make sure that the door will fly partly open when the fastening is released, a small spiral spring 5 is fixed to the handle-bar 5 and fastens at the other end to the partition in any suitable manner.

It may be desirable in some cases to usethe same machine to sell articles that have a price represented by two or three pieces of coin. In that case I make use of the attachment 6, the use of which is illustrated in Fig. 4. The coin-chute after it leaves the setscrew 1 makes an abrupt turn downward, 3. Below the turn is a slot 3 Now, supposing the article is to be sold for three cents, the attachment-piece 6 is fastened to the main portion 1 by means of bolt 6" after placing the free ends 6 in the slot 3 where it will arrest the first cent in place to cause the third cent to stop in front of the pin 1. Then the setscrew is moved up out of the way and the three cent pieces will cause the door-fastening to be released when the handle is moved. The movement of the main portion on the fulcrum'pin will throw the free end of 6 out of the slot and release the coins.

In handling some classes of goods it may be desirable thata sample of the article should those intended to hold the article to be de-' livered I call article-holders; but by the term article-l1olde1" I mean to include a drawer, a hook, a pin, or any means for holdin g an article.

In the modifications shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings the coin-chute is combined with a lever or movable portion making one piece 20, which may be called a movable coinchutel This piece pivots on the bolt 2O and has an extended portion 20, which reaches through the front of the case and forms a handle. The bar 21 has two downward -projeeting fingers 21 and 21 The rear finger being a little the longer is adapted to arrest the coin in its passage through the chute, and the other is adapted to come in contact with the coin 12 when this end of the chute is elevated, which is done by a downward pressure on the handle 20. The bar 21 being lifted by contact of the coin with fingers 21 and 21, it is released from the lug 22 and the door is allowed to open.

111 a modified form shown in Fig. 9 the lever 7 is mounted on pivots 7 and extending through a slot in the door-casing terminates in a handle 7". The other end 7 turns up and is adapted to enter the opening 16 in the coin-chute 18 when thehandle 7 is depressed.

The bar and door-fastener 19 has one end pivoted to the lug on the door, while near the other end is a notch 19, adapted to lit over the lug 11 and form a latch or fastening to the door. The bar 19 has a finger l9 on its lower side. This finger when the door is fastened reaches into the opening 18 in the upper edge of the coin-chute and is adapted to arrest the coin in its passage.

The chute 18 is pivotally attached to the partition at 18, and the other end resting on the pin 15 is allowed to raise when the point 7 presses against the coin. This movement of the chute lifts the bar 19 and releases the door.

In Fig. 11 of the drawings the bar 23 instead of being attached to the door of a cell is adapted to pass through something like a keyboard 26 and to terminate in a book 23 with a long slim point that may be passed through any fabric without injuring. it and then enter an opening 24 in the face of the keyboard 26.

It is obvious that many other modifications might be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I wish it to be un derstood that I do not confine myself to any ICO specific construction. I wish also to have it understood that in the claims forming a part of this specification where I use the term coin-controlled mechanism or similar expression it is intended to include mechanism that may be controlled by a check or by any acknowledged equivalent for the article on sale.

At bargain counters and in the sale of hurry lunches, &c., the articles vary so much in size, form, and price that they cannot be handled with an ordinary vending-machine, yet here is where a machine is most needed, here we have the crowd, confusion, and consequent loss. It is impossible to provide a clerk for each customer, yet without it some must wait and the crowd becomes congested. A machine that will serve in such cases must possess the following features: First, it must be adapted to the sale of articles differing in size, form, and price; second, it must expose to view all the articles at the same'time, because no two are alike; third, it'must allow the customers to choose and receive any ind ividual article paid for, not have to take them in turn; fourth, it must allow any number or all ofthe articles to be taken simultaneously, customers not have to wait for each other or for a clerk; fifth, it must-have means to prevent any article being taken without being paid for; sixth, it must be adapted to allow the holders to be refilled without interfering with sales taking place; seventh, the c0incontrolled mechanism to each holder must b out of the way of the goods and the public and be so simple that the machine may not be too expensive to be useful, a difference of one piece orone element toeach hold er may make a difference of several thousand pieces infitmovable and dispensing with other elements.

I claim 1. In a vending apparatus of the kind described, an upright sales-case provided with a series of cells or article-holders, adapted to exhibit simultaneously the several articles therein contained, said holders having a corresponding series of frontdelivery-openings and rear replenishing-openings, and a separate coin-controlled mechanism for each of said cells or holders to prevent the articles being taken without being paid for; substantially. as described.

2. In a vending apparatus of the kind described, an upright sales-case provided with a series of cells or article-holders, adapted to exhibit simultaneously the several articles therein contained, said holders having front deliveryopenings and rear replenishing-openings, doors for the front delivery-openings, coin-controlled fastening mechanism for said doors, and devices connected with the doors and extending rearwardly to allow the doors to be closed from the rear of the case, substantially as described.' a

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JUDSON B. HURD.

Witnesses:

OHAs. F. TANSILL, N. H. MERRILL. 

